'I EMBRACE WHO I AM': Hot golfer Spiranac lands SI Swimsuit issue gig

While she may not be burning things up on the golf course, Paige Spiranac is certainly a hole in one for Sports Illustrated.

The 24-year-old golfer known for her sexy attire and heavy social media following will be featured in the upcoming Sports Illustrated Swimsuit issue. The revelation comes just days after Spiranac’s in-depth interview with the Guardian — which focused on her crusade to change golf culture — went viral.

On Tuesday, Spiranac spread the SI news to her 1.3 million Instagram followers with a sneak preview of the photoshoot featuring the golfer wearing an underboob-baring sleeveless black top, black bikini bottom … and not much else.

“This was such a hard secret to keep!” Spiranac wrote on Instagram. “But I’m so honoured and humbled to be included in #SISwim 2018! This issue is about self-love, empowering women, body positivity and encouraging everyone to be kind.”

In an interview with Sports Illustrated, the San Diego State University grad said she’s hoping to use the magazine appearance and her role as a golf influencer to raise awareness about cyberbullying.

“People of all walks of life are cyberbullied every single day and that’s not okay,” Spiranac said. “It’s time we start supporting the victims instead of telling them to delete social media or ignore the hate. It’s time we made a difference, so I’ve dedicated a significant portion of my time to helping others.”

She’s also received negative criticism online for sexualizing women’s golf thanks to her revealing outfits and sultry selfies. No matter what she does, Spiranac believes she’ll always have haters.

“I realized that I could save the world and I would still get hate,” Spiranac told Esquire. “I’m never going to try and please other people. All I can do is live my truth and be a good person, and I will feel right and fulfilled. That’s what matters.”

Spiranac is still relatively new to golf. Her only win to date is the Cactus Tour in 2016. Along with the two Dubai tournaments, she also participated in the Ladies Scottish Open in 2016.

While she said she’s still a “professional golfer,” Spiranac told Golf.com that she currently doesn’t “have a passion to pursue playing professionally right now.”

But she’s definitely embracing her role as a makeshift golf ambassador.

“I don’t have a spot in golf right now and I think that’s totally okay,” she said. “I think I’m bringing new people into golf and people that might not even know what golf is … People don’t know what to call me or what I’m doing, but I feel like I’m having a positive impact on the game.”

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